Funnel support



Dec. 9, 1952 s. w. TAYLOR 296209957 FUNNEL SUPPORT Filed June 9, 1950 M [W Q3 N N H l s l 394; mi "2 w I 1 m l N "3 -l l INVENTOR.

| I 3; SENECA \N. TAYLOR L BY WWW AT TO R NEYS Patented Dec. 9, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FUNNEL SUPPORT Seneca W. Taylor, Iuka, Kans.

Application June 9, 1950, Serial No. 167,028

4 Claims.

' This invention relates to funnel-supportingdevices-ioruse in filling receptacles, and more par- --ticu1arly-to-'an improved funnel support to be used for supporting a funnel in filling containers through openings in vertical walls of the contacles, suchas steel drums and the like, said support being very simple in construction, being easy to attach and remove, and enabling an operator to handle a filler can or similar receptacle with both hands without requiring the aid of an assistant to hold the funnel.

'A further object of the invention is to provide an improved funnel support adapted for use in filling a horizontal steel drum or the like, said support being very inexpensive to manufacture,

.being provided with means for securely locking same to the wall of'the receptacle to be filled,'and

being readily detachable'from the wall of the receptacle after the filling operation of the receptacle' has been completed. i'

Further objects and advantages of the'invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical cross-sectional view taken through a steel drum provided in one end Wall with an opening in which is positioned an improved funnel support constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front end elevational view of the drum of Figure 1, showing the improved funnel support in front elevation;

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective fragmentary detail View of the end of the funnel support which is engageable inside the receptacle.

Referring to the drawings, II generally designates a steel drum or similar receptacle having a vertical end wall I2 which is provided in its upper portion with a filler opening I3 which may be closed by the use of a screw plug or the like. Designated at I4 is the improved funnel support, said support comprising a short conduit member which is bent or otherwise formed so that its ends extend at substantial angles to each other, the conduit being shown, by way of example, as

being arcuate in shape and having the respective ends I5 and I6. Rigidly secured to the lower portion of the funnel support I4, that is, to its bottom surface, as viewed in Figure 1, and spaced a short distance from the end I6 of the conduit member is a bracket member I! provided with an outwardly 'projectingfiange I8. The bracket I1 is generally semicircular-in shape, as shown in Figure 2, and the flange I8 is coextensive with the semicircular body of the bracket. Rigidly secured to the end I6 at its top surface, as viewed in Figures 1 and 3, is a hook-shaped rod member I9 which faces toward the opposite end I5 of the funnel support member I'4.

In using the device, the end I6 is engaged inside the filling opening I3 in the manner shown in Figure l, the flange I8abutting the loweroutside surfaceof the filling-opening and the hook member I9 engaging-over the inner top portion of the filling opening, as clearly'shown in Figure 1. It will be seen from Figure 1 that a funnel, such as the funneTZU shown'in dotted view inFigure 1, may be insertedin the upwardly directed end I5 of the iunnel support, and it will .be further seen that the" funnel 20 will be supported against downward movement by the interlocking engagement'of-th'e flange I8 and hook It with therespective lower outside and upper inside portions of the opening I3; as shown in Figure 1. The

funnel support will be'respectively held against lateral rocking, due to the engagement of the end portions'of the fian'ge I8 with the side'portions ofthe opening 'I3,'thereby preventing accidental lateral turning of the support conduit I4. The flange I8 provides a substantial bearing having surface engagement with the lower marginal portions of the opening I3, and the hook member I9 provides a sturdy abutment which supports the conduit member I4 against downward rotation.

The funnel support I4 may be readily engaged in the opening I3 by first inserting the hook element I9 and then rotating the conduit member [4 to the position shown in Figure 1, wherein the flange I8 abuts the lower outer marginal portion of the opening I3. The funnel-supporting conduit I4 is removed from the opening I3 by a reverse procedure.

The bracket member I! may be magnetized so as to be held against the lower outer marginal surface of the opening I3 by magnetic attraction, as well as by the weight of the conduit member I4. By providing such a magnetized bracket member II, the rigidity of the interlocking engagement of the end I6 of the funnel support with the wall I2 of the receptacle is greatly increased. At the same time, the funnel support may be attached to the wall I2 and may be disengaged from said wall with a minimum amount of manipulation, since it is merely necessary to rotate the conduit member I4 downwardly when engaging the end IS in the opening l3 until flange l8 abuts the lower surface of the opening [3, and to rotate the conduit member in the opposite direction to disengage end Hi from the opening l3.

While a specific embodiment of an improved funnel support for use in filling a container through an opening in a vertical wall thereof has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that variou 'modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A funnel support for use with a funnel in filling a container through an opening in a vertical wall of the container comprising a rigid conduit member arranged with its ends extending at asubstantial angle to each other, an'outwardly extending fiat projection. on said conduit member adjacent to one end thereof, and another projection on said conduit member diametrically opposite said-first-named projection and located substantially closer to said one than said first-named projection, said last-named projection comprising a hook-shaped element in the form of a U with the bight thereof extending substantially perpendicular to the end of the conduit and the legs thereof extending substantially parallel to theconduit and substantially toward the opposite end of the conduit.

2. Afunnel support for use with a funnel in filling a container through an opening in a vertical wall of the container comprising a rigid arcuate conduit member, afiat, outwardly-extending flangeon said conduit member adjacent to one end thereof, and a projection on said conduit member diametrically opposite said flange and located substantially closer to said one end than saidfiange, said projection comprising a hook-shaped element in the form of a U with the bight thereof extending substantially perpendicular to the end of the conduit and the legs thereof extending substantially parallel to the conduit and substantially toward the opposite end of the conduit.

' Number element in the form of a U with the bight thereof extending substantially perpendicular to the end of the conduit and the legs thereof extending substantially parallel to the conduit and substantially toward the opposite end of the conduit.

4. A funnel support for use with a funnel in filling a container through an opening in a vertical wall of the container comprising a rigid arcuate conduit member, a flat outward-1y extending-magnetized arcuate flange on said conduit member adjacent to one end thereof, and a projectionon said conduit member diametrically opposite said flange and located substantially closer to said one end-than said flange, said projection comprising a hook-shaped element in the form ofa U with the bight thereof extending substantially perpendicular to the end of the conduit and the legs thereof extendingsubstantially parallel to the conduit and substantially'toward the opposite end of the conduit.

SENECA W. TAYLOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES'PATENTS Name Date Kublin July'18,1911 Lyon Nov. 9,v 1920 Thompson Jan. 5, 1926 Ronning June 4,1940 Blasingame Oct. 28,1941 

